So much of modern science, (the search for the Higgs boson, the attempts to make nuclear fusion a reality, and even the latest dinosaur discovery) are too far away, too hot, too cold, too large or too small to get our hands on. But here's some modern science you can actually reach out and touch.

As COSI's Technology & Innovation strategic area of focus lead, my favorite part of my job is meeting creative and innovative people. Last week COSI hosted The Columbus Idea Foundry's Ethan Dicks, and his group, The Central Ohio RepRap and Makerbot Operators User Group (CORMUG). They teach and learn about 3D printing, and if you're interested in tinkering, rapid prototyping or micro-manufacturing, this is the group to know.

Spring is on the way. Really! Despite the chilly weather and occasional snow dump, the second half of March invariably brings on scientific-sounding descriptions of something called the vernal equinox, the day when daytime and nighttime are finally equal. It marks the time when daylight starts lasting longer, nights get shorter, and (eventually) warm weather returns to our fair land.

What is rarely discussed, though, is why. Why should the Earth's axis tilt in such a way to create varying seasons? Why are seasons so predictable, year after year after year? Do other planets have similar cycles? Will our pattern ever change?

A while ago we reported on the discovery of the Higgs particle at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Europe. On March 14, CNN and other news outlets reported some new information to coincide with both pi day (3.14) and Albert Einstein's birthday.

The wild frock of hair. The mischievous grin and sad, puppy dog eyes. And, of course, the famous equation E=mc2. The one scientist almost everyone knows not just by name but even by sight is, of course, Albert Einstein. He’s become a synonym for genius; so smart, so beyond our ordinary ways of thinking, that we don’t have any chance of understanding his ideas.

And yet, that part of the legend is simply not true. You can understand some of Einstein’s most exciting discoveries, and you won’t need an advanced degree in physics to do it. All it takes is a little imagination. As Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” What better way to celebrate Einstein’s 134th birthday than by recreating in our own minds one of his most astonishing discoveries?